At the opening ceremony of the AQUA 2024 event in Copenhagen, Denmark, the European Aquaculture Society (EAS) gave its highest award – Honorary Life Membership – to Bjørn Myrseth. A pioneer of fish farming in Europe and beyond, a role model for aquaculture and one of the founding members of EAS in 1976, Bjørn is the 16th recipient of this distinguished award.
AQUA 2024 was co-organised by the European and World Aquaculture Societies and attended by 3,600 participants from more than 80 countries.
Bente Torstensen, EAS President 2022-2024 introduced and presented the award.
Bjørn Myrseth graduated with a master’s degree from the University of Bergen in 1971. After graduation, he became a founder of Stolt Sea Farm, specialized in the production of salmon smolts in Norway and later in Scotland, USA and Canada. Bjørn was the key driver of the company’s involvement in sturgeon farming in California.
He then looked to diversify his interests and, through Marine Farms AS, where he was CEO, made investments in Greece, Spain, UK and Chile. This was the start of Galaxidi Marine Farm in Greece and Culmarex in Spain. Marine Farms was listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange in 2006, having operations in the UK (salmon), Belize (cobia), Vietnam (cobia) and in Spain (seabass and seabream). In 2012, he was named as the Chairman of the salmon processor, Morpol, after their acquisition of Marine Farms.
Bjørn was presented with the Federation of European Aquaculture Producers “Award of Excellence” in 2011 for his (I cite) “exceptional contribution to European aquaculture”. In 2013, he was presented with a lifetime achievement award by the Global Aquaculture Alliance. These are just two of his many recognitions.
Bjørn’s commitment and dedication to EAS goes back to its founding, as the European Mariculture Society in 1976, where he was a founding member and member of the Bureau. He was also the National Representative for Norway from 1976 to 1985, before coming back to the Board and becoming EAS President from 1992-1994 and then again from 2016-2018. This is the first time that EAS has had the same president for two non-consecutive terms.
Bjørn was chair of the 1993 EAS WAS World Aquaculture event in Torremolinos, Spain, and he was again the chair of the AQUA 2024 Steering Committee, 31 years later.
Like all pioneers, he doesn’t sit back on his laurels, but keeps active, keeps leading and keeps learning. He continues to be a Board member of companies across the globe and provides consulting services through his own Vitamar company.
His contribution to aquaculture is global, as described previously, and so the EAS Board considered that this EAS WAS AQUA 2024 event was the right time to honour Bjørn. He is a role model for aquaculture.
Honorary Life Membership of EAS is an award given to someone that has made a significant impact on the development of European aquaculture. Since 1981, EAS has given this award to very few persons, including Eric Edwards, Peter Hjul, Colin Nash, Courtney Hough, Pascal Divanach, Patrick Sorgeloos, Michael New, Sachi Kaushi, Stefano Cataudella and László Varadi.
